Teacher Information about ACES

Access to Creative Education in Scotland (ACES) is a national Widening Participation (WP) project, funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The project aims to support eligible S4-S6 pupils in Scottish state secondary schools who are considering pursuing degrees or careers in art, design or architecture. 

ACES Edinburgh supports pupils and teachers in state schools in the south east of Scotland and is a multi-exit programme. That means we will support pupils and teachers in local schools regardless of where they may want to study. We will support young people with their creative development, exploration of their future options, and help them create a competitive application for the degree that is right for them.

We also provide information and Continual Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for local state school teachers in relevant subject areas or pupil supporting roles.

We have put together key information and links to great resources for all pupils interested in pursuing a degree in art, design or architecture. You and your pupils can access these for free, regardless of their eligibility for ACES.

ACES resources

Support we offer to eligible pupils 

ACES Edinburgh staff will advise and support eligible young people through all stages from pre-application to submitting a strong application to visual creative degrees. 

We run a variety of events throughout the year for ACES pupils in S4-S6. Our events aim to give you insight into the different subjects, the range of careers in the Creative Industries, and opportunities for you to improve and widen your skill set. 

All of our activities are free of charge to ACES pupils and we will provide materials and resources.

You can find out what events and support are open for booking by reading your ACES Teacher newsletter or by following us on Instagram @ACES_Edinburgh.

The ACES year typically includes (subject to change and may include additional events):

• June - Graduate Show visits (S4-S6)
• July - Summer School (S4-S6)
• August-October - Information Sessions around applying to creative degrees, personal statements, and portfolios (S5-S6)
• August-January - Portfolio Preparation Programme (typically S5, S6)
• September-October - Drawing Club (S4-S6)
• October - Subject Taster Sessions (S4-S6)
• November-March - Portfolio Feedback Sessions  (typically S5, S6)
• January - Interview Workshop (typically S5, S6)
• February - Information Sessions around degree choices (S4-S6)
• February-March - Gallery and exhibition visits (S4-S6)

The eligibility criteria for ACES are set by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and you learn more about the range of access initiatives they fund on the SFC website.

ACES Edinburgh works with eligible S4-S6 pupils attending state secondary schools in:

• Edinburgh
• The Lothians (East Lothian, Midlothian & West Lothian)
• Scottish Borders
• Falkirk
• Stirling
• Clackmannanshire

If a young person attends a state secondary school in any of the above local authority areas AND meets any of the below criteria, they will be eligible to sign up for ACES Edinburgh:

• are Care Experienced; or
• live in a Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile 1 or 2 postcode area; or
• are a Young Carer; or
• are estranged from your family; or
• are a refugee or asylum seeker; or
• are entitled to or are in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM)

Criteria explained

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile 1-2

You can use the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation to find your postcode category.

Use the link below and follow the steps:

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

1. Type the pupil's postcode into the ‘area finder’ box on the left

2. Click ‘GO’

3. Hover at the bottom of the yellow marker that appears on the map

4. If the ‘current data zone’ box on the right of the screen states ‘Quintile 1’ or ‘Quintile 2’ then they are eligible to register with the project.

Young Carer

We define a Young Carer as a young person who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member. This means caring for someone, who due to illness, disability, mental health issues, or an addiction, cannot cope without the young person's support.

Estranged

Estranged students are usually without the financial or emotional support of their family due to a breakdown in the relationship.

Does one of your pupils meet the criteria?

If you are unsure whether a pupil your work with meets our criteria, please contact us directly and we will happily help you.

1. Pupils will need to register first

Pupils can register to join ACES Edinburgh by completing our online form:

Pupil Registration Form

2. Pupils can then book any of our events

Once a pupil is registered with ACES Edinburgh, we will be in touch with them directly and they can use the form below to book onto our events:

Pupil Event Booking Form

ACES Edinburgh supports teachers working in state secondary schools in:

• Edinburgh
• The Lothians (East Lothian, Midlothian & West Lothian)
• Scottish Borders
• Falkirk
• Stirling
• Clackmannanshire

... and who teach ACES-relevant subject areas or have a pupil supporting role including:

• Teachers of relevant subject areas such as Art and Design, Photography, Graphic Communication, Drama, or Design and Manufacture
• Teachers in roles such as Guidance Teachers, Heads of House, Career Advisers, or Pupil Support

Support and events we offer to teachers

ACES Edinburgh will advise teachers who support ACES Edinburgh pupils with their application to visual creative degrees. In addition to this, we offer Continual Professional Development (CPD) opportunities which may count towards the requirement to engage in Professional Learning for teachers registered in Scotland.

All of our activities for teachers are free of charge and we will provide all required materials.

Events and activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Introduction to ACES and the support we offer
• Information Sessions around application process and portfolios
• Visits of the Edinburgh College of Art campus and Graduate Show
• In-school visits 

Upcoming events for teachers are announced via email to all local state secondary school teachers who are subscribed to our ACES Teacher Newsletter.

Sign up to the ACES Teacher Newsletter and Events

If you teach at a state secondary school in another area of Scotland, you may want to contact one of our ACES partners for information and support.

Similarly, pupils who attend a state secondary school in another area of Scotland, may want to sign up with one of our ACES partners. 

Please use the links below to find out more about the ACES partner that is closest to you:

• Glasgow School of Art
• The University of Dundee
• Robert Gordon University​​​​​​